The 19th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) met on Wednesday to pass 12 pieces of legislation.

The meeting opened with two special presentations. First up was a presentation by a representative from the Interfraternity Council (IFC), which highlighted the IFC’s responsibilities and community engagement events, as well as explained the council’s role in working directly was fraternities on campus. The presentation ended with a discussion on how the UPUA assembly could collaborate with the IFC in promoting safety measures on campus.

Following this was a presentation by Representatives Cece Gonzalez and Ben Koleno from UPUA Benefitting THON. The pair reminded the UPUA assembly of the basic rules and expectations for the weekend, including what to bring throughout the weekend, and reviewed the logistics for the THON entrance plan and Final Four.

Following reports from President Zion Sykes and Vice President Rasha Elwakil, the assembly moved into old business. 

Old Business

The only piece of old business for the night was Resolution #17-19: Support for Revisions to Pre-Health Requirements. This resolution details UPUA’s recommendations for removing MATH 141 from the pre-medicine major requirements. MATH 141 is a course that is required in the pre-medicine major, yet none of its content is assessed on the MCAT. This has led many students to switch from the pre-medicine major to the biology major instead, which does not require MATH 141. In addition to the removal of MATH 141 from the major requirements, UPUA also encourages a campaign to highlight that pre-medicine students can still take the course if they wish. 

This resolution was met with pushback from the assembly, leading to multiple rounds of discussion to clarify if MATH 141 provides benefits to students and whether it would harm students to remove this course from the requirements. In the end, the UPUA assembly seemed split on whether this resolution would set students back, or if MATH 141 being required is a waste of pre-medicine students’ time.

Resolution #17-19: Support for Revisions to Pre-Health Requirements passed by a vote of 24-0-15.

New Business 

First up for new business was Bill #58-19: Funding for World Social Justice Day Tabling. This bill provides funding for the purchase of snacks to be handed out to students during UPUA’s World Social Justice Day tabling event from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, in the HUB. This event will help raise awareness about the economic and social injustices and facilitate meaningful conversations with the student body on how to properly incite social change. An interactive board will be available for students to write reflections, thoughts and call to action while enjoying free cookies provided by UPUA. 

Bill #58-19: Funding for World Social Justice Day Tabling passed unanimously.

Next up was Bill #59-19: Funding for Justice & Equity Spring Semester Identity Roundtable. This bill provides funding for the UPUA to host an Identity Roundtable from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, February 24, at the HUB Flex Theater. The identity roundtable will be a space for leaders of various Penn State identity organizations to come together and discuss the current state of diversity and inclusion on campus. Topics covered in the roundtable include intersectionality, accessibility, university culture, and creating safe spaces for students on campus. The roundtable seeks to give these leaders the space to learn from other’s unique perspectives and allow UPUA to understand how it can help support the university’s mission of advocating and promoting diversity on campus. 

Bill #59-19: Funding for Justice & Equity Spring Semester Identity Roundtable passed unanimously. 

Following this was Bill #60-19: Funding for Sexual Violence Awareness Prevention Board Catering. This bill allots funding for the UPUA to cater to the upcoming Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention (SVAP) board from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4. This project is in collaboration with the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, the National Panhellenic Council, the Student Programming Association, the Gender Equity Coalition, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the Association of Residence Hall Students. 

The SVAP board brings together students, educators, community members, and advocates and will act as a space for sharing resources and raising awareness regarding sexual violence. The SVAP board will seek to incite discussion on the issue of sexual violence, work together to propose solutions, and collaborate on new methods to prevent this violence on Penn State’s campus. 

Bill #60-19: Funding for Sexual Violence Awareness Prevention Board Catering passed unanimously. 

Bill #61-19: Funding for Campus Shuttle Advertisement was up next. This bill provided funding for a sponsored Instagram post to promote the Penn State Campus Shuttle system to increase student awareness and provide further resources. These shuttles are free to all students and have two routes, College Avenue and Beaver Avenue. The post will highlight how the shuttles are ADA accessible and provide links to the TransLoc app where students can check the shuttle locations. 

Bill #61-19: Funding for Campus Shuttle Advertisement passed by a vote of 32-2-0. 

Following this was Bill #62-19: Funding for International Student Council’s ‘We Are The World’ Celebration. This bill allots $2,872.46 for decorations, T-shirts, and photography services for the International Student Council’s (ISC) ‘We Are The World’ Celebration at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 2. The ISC is a Penn State student organization that represents the expansive and culturally diverse international community on campus. The ‘We Are The World’ event is a celebration of these international cultures and traditions with food, games, and performances. Anyone from the student body is enjoyed to attend. 

Bill #62-19: Funding for International Student Council’s ‘We Are The World’ Celebration passed with a vote of 33-1-0. 

Next up was Resolution #19-19: Supporting the Addition of Trash Cans Across Campus. In this resolution, UPUA seeks to address the shortage of trash cans along major routes on campus. This lack of trash cans has led to an increase in littering and overflowing bins. UPUA recommended that the Office of Physical Plant install trash cans along Pollock Road, Curtain Road, and Bigler Road to mitigate littering and keep our campus clean.

Resolution #19-19: Supporting the Addition of Trash Cans Across Campus passed unanimously. 

Resolution #20-19: Support for the Inclusion of Identity Caucuses in the New Student Orientation Presentation was up next. In this resolution, UPUA supports initiatives to include identity caucuses into the New Student Orientation program via the caucus’s mission statement, logo, and purpose on campus. Using the new student orientation program to highlight the Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, APIDA Caucus, MENA Caucus, Disability Alliance Caucus, and Lion Pride Caucus would allow incoming students to potentially join these organizations and ease their transition to Penn State. In UPUA’s effort to support diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness on campus, implementing this new addition to NSO would help foster new communities and connections for incoming students.

Resolution #20-19: Support for the Inclusion of Identity Caucuses in the New Student Orientation Presentation passed unanimously. 

Following this was Resolution #21-19: Heaters at Penn State Bus Stops. This resolution details UPUA’s steps for advocating for and implementing heaters at bus stops across the campus. Due to the record-breaking cold temperatures that State College faces each year, having these heated stops can improve student health, increase motivation to attend class, and decrease overall stress levels. The first step UPUA would need to complete would be identifying which bus stops should include heaters, and it identified the Curtin Road stop as a possibility. Next, the organization would need to collaborate with Penn State administrators about safety and regular considerations, as well as the financial feasibility of the project. UPUA is dedicated to working with the university to begin taking these necessary steps toward implementing heaters at bus stops. 

Following this was Resolution #21-19: Heaters at Penn State Bus Stops passed unanimously. 

Resolution #22-19: Support for Gaga Ball Pitt Installation was up next. This resolution details how UPUA will work with the Penn State administration to advocate for the incorporation of Gaga Ball courts during the Pollock Halls renovation. UPUA believes that the addition of the courts will increase student connections, as well as boost mental and physical health. UPUA hopes that this resolution for Gaga Ball courts will be one step in a broader effort to expand recreational opportunities for students on campus. 

Resolution #22-19: Support for Gaga Ball Pitt Installation passed unanimously. 

The second to last resolution of the night was Resolution #23-19: Support for Pennsylvania Local & Hyperlocal Food Procurement. This resolution recommends that Penn State continue to increase the procurement of local foods, increasing procurement from 18% to 25% by 2030. Increasing the number of local sources of food would decrease environmental impacts such as transportation emissions, and further align with the university land-grant impact. In addition, increasing the amount of local food used at the university will help foster new community connections, expand agricultural resiliency within the region, and enhance Penn State’s sustainable goals.

The resolution details how UPUA can work to increase awareness and support of local food sources in collaboration with Penn State Extension and the Auxiliary and Business Services Sustainability Department. 

 Resolution #23-19: Support for Pennsylvania Local & Hyperlocal Food Procurement passed unanimously. 

The final resolution for the night was Resolution #24-19: Support for ADA Parking Pass Price Changes. In this resolution, UPUA recommends that transportation services get rid of the surcharge on Americans with Disabilities Act parking permits. In addition to removing the surcharge, UPUA also advocates for improving ADA parking permit informational resources by streamlining the online portal and making the details for permit eligibility clearer. 

Resolution #24-19: Support for ADA Parking Pass Price Changes passed unanimously.